


Sora The Vampire Slayer

by LilLostLady



Series: Vampire Slayer [1]
Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Beta Wanted, Bisexual Female Character, Blood, Blood Drinking, Blood and Gore, Blood and Violence, Character Death, Demons, Eventual Romance, F/F, F/M, Ghosts, Halloween 2018, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Lesbian Character, M/M, Magic, Male Slash, Minor Character Death, Monsters, Murder, Not Beta Read, One-Sided Attraction, Organization XIII (Kingdom Hearts), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Romance, Shiki inspired, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Tragic Romance, Unrequited Crush, Vampire Slayer(s), Vampires, Witches
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-31
Updated: 2018-12-22
Packaged: 2019-08-13 21:23:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,072
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16480007
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LilLostLady/pseuds/LilLostLady
Summary: People are dying and only Sora and his friends have stumbled upon the cause; vampires. Sora then makes up his mind to stop the killing before he's told that it's basically his job anyway. From there things only get more complicated as it turns out one of the vampires he has to stop was his supposedly dead best friend, Riku. (Summary may change)





	1. One Year Ago/First Death

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Halloween!  
> Unbeta'd but edited on 12/18/18

"Two funerals in two years in our little town... and both so young too." A woman's gossiping voice is heard before quickly being hushed by another, "Quiet they might hear you," the second woman points to a group of teens, the gossipers eyes follow the other's extended finger to them.

All of them were dressed in black with was fitting for the event, two were girls one a long-haired redhead and one a shoulder length brunette. The redhead was tearfully watching people walk by while the brunette was focused on the boy seated on the steps beside her. This boy was also a brunette though his hair was spiked his expression unreadable as his face was mostly downcast. A few feet away from him was a blonde boy who seemed both part of the group and not at the same time he appeared to have something on his mind, he almost seemed angry instead of sad.

In a quieter voice she asks, "They were friends with the last boy as, well, weren't they?"

"Yeah," The second lady nods, "do you think they had something to do with it?" The original woman eyes them warily as she asked.

"No I don't think so, the last one was sick if I recall correctly." Is the whispered response.

They then both hurry pass the teens into the reception hall all the while glancing back and continuing to talk in hushed tones.

"Ignore them Sora." A short haired brunette tells the disheartened boy who was currently slumped over on the steps beside her. He doesn't acknowledge her though instead he's lost in his own thoughts.

Thoughts of another friend he'd lost a year before.

-

An alarm was steadily chiming but the teenager slept through it soundly like a pro which was normal enough for him. But annoying to those who were unfortunate enough to hear it through the thin walls of his aunt's quaint two-story house.

"Sora." A voice through said thin walls shouts. No response.

"Sora, wake up!" The speaker yells once more while slamming open the door of the other teens' room, "Honestly how are you still sleeping through all that!?" Receiving no answer in response except a slight snoring noise the girl's frown slowly shifts into a wicked grin. Walking over to the messy bed she stares at the sprawled out form before promptly jumping onto the bed and the sleeping boy thus startling him awake.

"Wha-oomph, huh?" Sora awakens confused before seeing the giggling cause of his newly conscious state, "Selphie!" He shoves her, but she doesn't budge, "Get off!" He shoves again and receives the same result. She was unmoving.

"Good morning to you too big bro," She grinned while leaning down to kiss his messy bedhead much to the boy's disgust, all the while not getting off of him, "I'm awake you can get off now." The spiky-haired boy told her annoyed while rubbing at the spot she kissed in a grossed out manner, sister germs weren't cool.

He was usually a very bright and happy person except when it came to first thing in the morning, in other words, he was not a morning person. At all. He liked sleep, sleep was good... school always came way too early in his humble opinion.

"Nope!" She replied popping the p, "If I do you'll just pull the covers back over your head and doze off again," He opened his mouth to tell her that he won't, but she beats him to the punch, "and don't deny it, I know you too well Sora." This was true…

"Fine… you still need to get off if I'm gonna get ready for school though." He grumbled and nudged at her.

Nodding as he's got a point she slides off but not before grabbing a fist full of his blanket and taking it with her, "Oh come on!" The spiky-haired boy complained as he flopped backwards onto his bed with his arm covering his eyes, "Worst little sister ever…" Said sister then hits the alarm turning the annoying thing off finally.

"I think you mean the best." He peeks out from beneath his arm to glare, "Really you're about as frightening as a kitten." He pouts, it's true he's not good at making a mean or even an intimidating face. Best leave that one to Riku.

Sighing he pulls himself up in a sluggish and dramatic fashion before suddenly a burst of energy and speed take hold of him making him grab the blanket from Selphie before jumping back onto his bed triumphantly. 'Victory' his mind supplies as he snuggles back into a warm cocoon.

"Hey!" Selphie shouts still holding on to the edge stubbornly before giving it another yank to her brother's dismay and thus the battle for the blanket begins.

Well, it does until their aunt Aerith breaks it up by simply walking up to his open door and telling them that breakfast is ready. What teenage boy would turn that one down, so he decides to halt 'the war for the blanket' as he's so awesomely dubbed it. But only for now, can't fight a war on an empty stomach after all.

Aerith curbs their slight battle at the breakfast table in her own sweet but no-nonsense way. Both were pretty obedient around her because as nice as their aunt was normally it just made it all the scarier to make her angry.

After eating and getting dressed the two begin their tread towards Destiny Middle and Destiny High respectively. Selphie was in her last year of middle school whereas her older brother Sora was starting his second year of high school.

"I hate Mondays…" Selphie complains to the boy skipping beside her, a complete turn around from the grumpy boy from this morning she notes as usual. How did he do it? She to wasn't a morning person but she wasn't a nightmare to wake up either, a simple alarm sounding did the trick just like most 'normal' people. And like most normal girls her age, she hated Mondays because well early mornings and school, simple enough.

"They're not so bad… well except for the getting up early part." He starts off with a grin and ends with a shudder at the thought of waking up so early. If the younger girl had to choose between waking up early and going to school she'd pick waking up every time, she was so done with middle school at this point.

"If I were in charge school would start at a reasonable hour though!" He laughed, "Like when, the later side of never?" A voice asked from behind the two.

"Riku!" Sora exclaimed with a jump, "You're always sneaking up on me," he turned and swatted at the other boy's arm before grinning and answering the previous question/statement, "No but maybe one or two hours would work."

"Of course, it would and when would you do all that homework?" He deadpanned and barely withholding an eye roll from what Selphie could see.

"Afterwards still," he tilted his head like the answer was obvious, "Sora you do realize that coming into school later wouldn't make the day any less short, don't you?"

"…"

"It'd be nearly dark by the time they let out and that's without any after-school clubs." Sora's bright blue eyes widen, "Okay… well if I could change the time I'd just make school days shorter then!" Riku shook his head it was like he was dealing with a child. Still, he'd humor him because they'd been best friends for so long the silver-haired youth knew that one had to or else his younger friend would just keep coming up with even more bizarre ideas.

"Too bad you're not in charge of things then." Sora nodded in agreement and happily starts to chatter about other things even dragging Selphie into it. For some reason, Selphie tended to get quiet whenever Riku showed up lately but her clueless older brother didn't notice the change.

Soon enough they were joined by their other friend Tidus and before they knew it Selphie was branching off from them with a quick wave and they were on their own school grounds.

"See you after school Riku," the brunette happily told his slightly older friend, "Actually I have to stay after today, so I'll see you tomorrow." Sora frowned at that. Riku was two years older than him and was on the student council so sadly during the school year he only really got to hang out with his best friend during the weekend or on rare occasions after school. The younger teen didn't really count the short walk to school as 'hanging out' after all.

Sora hated it…and he didn't hate things lightly.

He didn't like mornings.

He didn't like roast beef.

But he hated how little time he had with Riku as of late.

Sora was used to always being around Riku and that made the change hard but the brunette had come to terms with it given that the development wasn't 'exactly' new. Since Riku started high school it made Sora appreciate the summer even more, too bad the summer just ended a few weeks ago. And too bad that Riku's final year was the worst one yet in terms of them having time to spend together.

Still, he didn't want to make Riku feel bad about it so the teen put on his happy face and nodded, "Well if you get done early I'll be down by the beach with Kairi, Tidus, and Wakka!"

Riku nods his acknowledgment and they go their separate ways with Sora waving much more cheerfully than he actually was.

After school, Sora and his trio of friends had a blast playing around and goofing off on the beaches shore as per usual but Riku never shows up. As the sun starts to set the three other teenagers head home leaving only Sora who glances back towards their high school only just barely seeing it in the distance but hoping to catch sight of his silver-haired friend. He doesn't. So instead he hopes that Riku's not still working on something at school and sighs knowing he probably is, workaholic and perfectionist that the other is.

Still something is pulling him back towards the school, towards Riku. Kind of like an instinct telling him that something's wrong, very wrong. That he needs to go back to the school. Back to Riku. It causes him to pauses but Sora shakes it off and doesn't listen because that's just weird, nothing's wrong with Riku. He stays late sometimes, it's not a big deal so with that final uneasy thought the teen follows his friends' example and goes home.

The next day starts off similarly to the previous with Sora sleeping through his alarm clock and Selphie waking him up in her own unique way. Another blanket battle ensues, it seemed to be the theme of the week. Sora claims himself the victor despite having to get up and go to school anyway and Selphie rolls her eyes knowing who the true champ is.

However, strangely enough, they don't run into Riku on the way to school. That almost never happened given how well Riku is at timing things, since middle school their walking schedules had always been in sync. Sora could count the number of times they missed one another on the way to school, and those times were usually his own fault. Both brunettes were disappointed by his absence but neither mention it.

After school though Sora cheers up at the sight of his silver-haired friend's back as he is exiting the school gates, "Riku!" He caught up easily and jumped on him from behind in excitement as if to get a piggyback was normal for them and Riku always saw him coming.

Sora doesn't notice the bandage on the side of the other boy's neck at first, but he does notice the way that Riku tenses up instead of laughing off his friend's antics. Sora decides to ignore it, maybe he just surprised him for once.

"Where were you this morning?" He tilted his head and scrunched up his nose in thought all the while hanging onto the other teen's neck from behind, partially dangling due to height differences.

The teen sighs and shoves the overly friendly boy away, "I had to come in early this morning." Not put off at the shove he smiles and ignores the weird feeling something akin to a bad vibe that goes through him.

"Oh well, that sucks." Sora frowned as he kept pace beside his friend and glanced at his face, "Yeah." Something was off, was Riku overworked? That was probably it!

"You shouldn't work so hard… you have bags under your eyes." The brunette rounds to the front of the older boy to get a better look, "Yup definitely bags," he pokes the slightly annoyed boy's face under his eyes as if to empathize his statement.

The paler of the two swats the offending hand away, "Knock it off Sora."

Sora holds the hand that Riku swatted, it didn't hurt well not physically anyhow but instead of let on that he was disheartened by his friend's action he did what he did best and acted like everything was fine. After all Riku was moody from lack of sleep, right?

"Hey, I was just kidding… but really you look pretty tired." Sora said in concern so much so that he doesn't add the 'pretty' joke that popped into his mind at his words.

Riku sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

In Riku language that usually meant he had a headache or was getting one.

"Don't worry I'm fine and I'll go to sleep early so stop fussing… mom." He ended his sentence with a smirk, "Haha, well if you're making jokes I guess I shouldn't worry too much." Still deep down Sora knew something wasn't right but he shoved the feeling away not wanting to push the other boy. Riku would either talk or not and pushing him was a sure fire way to make him clam up.

The walk home that day was just the two of them and Sora did most of the talking but that wasn't too unusual as the younger of the two could talk up a storm. It worked enough to make him forget his worries at least for a time. Sora was good at distracting himself and others, not the best trait to have in retrospect he'd think later. If there was anytime to push this would've been it.

The next day came and he was walking to school with his little sister when they happened upon Riku walking ahead of them and they all chatted some. Then Selphie spoke to Riku without being prompted to by Sora, "You look pale Riku, are you feeling alright?"

Sora laughed and shrugged away his uneasiness by simply telling the worried girl, "Riku's always pale." The pale teen in question agreed with the spiky-haired boy's assessment and that's all that's said on the subject.

Something heavy is hung around them, around Riku but Sora stubbornly ignored it. Nothing was wrong if something was Riku would tell him. That's what Sora kept telling himself.

After school was normal enough except for when Sora invites Riku to go down to the beach and gets turned down, "It's only Kairi and me today so you don't have to be sociable I know how much you hate that." The blue-eyed boy jokes, once again the other boy replied that he just has too much homework and Sora concedes although reluctantly. It was starting to feel like Riku was avoiding them, avoiding him. But that didn't make any sense, so Sora stopped thinking it.

The next day was a Thursday and that's when Sora really noticed that maybe Selphie was right and Riku did look pale.

"Riku I think maybe you should go back home today… I mean you look as white as a ghost." Sora tried to make the latter half of his words into a joke but the worry bleeds through all the same making the 'joke' fall short.

"I'm fine." Riku snapped with a glare.

"No, you're not!" Sora stopped in front of his friend and placed his hand on the other's forehead, strangely it's not hot like Sora was expecting. It's cold? The bad feeling grew, something inside him was screaming at him to do something. Sora didn't understand it so he shook it off and focused on Riku.

Riku was freezing but it was still summer-like weather, how could he be cold?

The silver-haired teen aggressively knocks his hand away before spitting out, "I told you I'm fine!" Even his hand was cold.

"Riku…" The other boy's glaring darkened as he shoved his way around the worried brunette to continue on to school.

That wasn't like Riku at all.

"Do you think he's sick?" Selphie who was watching silently from the sideline finally asked after her brother remains motionless staring in the direction that Riku had left in.

"…I don't know?" His sister noticed his stalled form and so she grabbed his hand before pulling him along by said hand, the one that had been knocked away by Riku... again. But this time was different, this time wasn't annoyance, it was anger? Sora didn't know how to deal with Riku's anger directed at him, the older boy was usually pretty calm and collected not prone to anger at least not with Sora it even took a lot for the younger of the two to annoy the boy. Usually.

Simply put the two boys never really fight not with real anger in the mix and though it wasn't a fight per say, it still wasn't normal for Riku to talk or act that way around the younger boy. There friends said it was weird, Sora just thought it was because Riku was more mature than them but whatever the case something was wrong and Sora felt lost at how to fix it.

Sora was unable to pay attention in most of his classes but Tidus and Wakka seemed to notice this and covered for him as much as they could. He would've thanked them had he noticed at the time but he didn't.

When the final bell rang signaling the end of his school day the brunette quickly bolted for the door in hopes of catching Riku before he left. It was unlikely he'd be outside before Sora but there was always the possibility and so the teen would rather not chance missing him.

Sora's gaze roamed around as he tried to catch sight of Riku, his friend was tall and had unique hair. So he shouldn't have missed him. No, he had to still be here, so he waited. During the wait, Kairi showed up and offered to wait as well. So both he and Kairi waited for an extra fifteen minutes by the school's rusted iron gate. Kairi tried to attempt conversation but Sora's attention was very obviously elsewhere so the redhead simply sighed and mumbled to herself, "It's always about Riku with you."

"Huh? Did you say you saw Riku?" Sora asked looking to and fro.

"Oh no," The girl shakes her head, "sorry, I didn't say anything," Kairi said with a strained smile and his spikes literally seem to droop along with his expression.

"Oh..."

Eventually, no one else passing them, it seemed that everyone had left but them.

That made him worry.

"He's probably just doing whatever it is a student council member is supposed to do," Kairi said in a comforting tone, it wasn't do it's job though as Sora wasn't comforted.

"...Maybe, no you're probably right but I'm just gonna go make sure." He turned his gaze away from the building to look at her and is one to force a smile this time, "Thanks for waiting with me but you don't have to keep me company anymore."

Kairi shakes her head, "I'll wait here just in case you miss him when you go check on him."

Sora smiled turns real then, "Good idea, thanks Kairi."

That said he leaves and quickly checks in with the student council to see if Riku's still there, they tell him that they haven't seen him. In fact, his friend had been skipping his after-school meetings the last two days without any notice… that was not like Riku at all. He was beginning to feel that thought get repetitive.

Sora met back up with Kairi by the gate, she could tell by his face that he had no luck. Kairi tells him that Riku hadn't passed her while he went searching so Sora tells her that their friend must've left early as the student council hadn't seen him. They decide to visit Riku's house on the way home even if it was a little out of the way.

The walk there is a quiet one and Kairi not knowing how to fill the silence with pointless chatter like her friend opts to keep the silence.

Sora is the one to approach the door when they arrive and he gives it a quick few knocks deciding against the doorbell as the teenager knows that only the front part of the house can hear it clearly.

Riku's mother was the one to answer the door and she looked none too pleased to see them, the woman had always thought her son could do without his friendship. Honestly, Sora didn't get it but then again she had taught him that being friendly couldn't make everyone like you. No, some people just didn't like certain people on principal and Sora just happened to be that person to Riku's mother.

The older woman informed them rudely that Riku was sleeping and to come back later before nearly closing the door on them but Kairi spoke up first, "It's only a little after four though."

"He said he wasn't feeling well. I'll tell him you stopped by once he wakes up." Her tone made Sora doubt the truthfulness of her words but as the door had already closed he couldn't say anything. Not that he would've, he never did know what to say when faced with her.

After that very short conversation with Riku's mom, the two begin making their way home, "Well at least he acknowledged he was sick right?" The redhead looked at the boy walking beside her, he shakes his head, "No if Riku told her he wasn't feeling well it was probably to 'just' keep her out of his room," He always complained of headaches to get her to leave him alone and as far as Sora knew it worked, "so he might be doing his homework instead of sleeping."

Riku and his mother's relationship was complicated even more so than Sora's almost non-existent one with his own parents who traveled all the time, he couldn't recall the last time he'd seen his parents at this point. A phone call here, a postcard there. Aerith was more of a mom than his actual one, that went for Riku too. He'd even said so once during a sleepover years ago so it wasn't just Sora's interpretation.

Realizing Kairi was expecting more he pulled himself away from his thoughts and loudly exclaimed, "If he doesn't stay home tomorrow I'll just bug him until he does!"

Kairi shakes her head fondly and listens as Sora continues to talk, "Maybe I can stop by in the morning and bring him some cold medicine?" He looked to Kairi as his statement turns into a question.

She briefly thinks Riku's mom should be the one getting him medicine but doesn't say so, "I'm sure he'll appreciate it." Sora puts on a happy grin and nods, "Of course he will, and he'll get better and then I'll make him apologize for being such a jerk about it!"

Knowing Riku once he got over whatever cold or illness this was he'd feel bad about his treatment of his best friend and then it would all go back to normal, yes Sora truly believed that. The bad feelings could hang themselves because everything would be okay!

The next day came quickly and Sora did something completely out of character for him. He woke up early.

Without any sort of prompting from his little sister, no blanket wars, no fussing, no nothing. Just quickly getting himself dressed grabbing a piece of toast and the cold medicine he'd asked Aerith for yesterday and rushing out the door a full thirty minutes before he had to.

It left Aerith at a complete loss and Selphie wondering if the body snatchers got to her brother.

Arriving at Riku's house with plenty of time to spare Sora noticed that his mom's car was gone, meaning his mom's not home. He's thankful for her early work hours at the moment as a run in with her wasn't the way anyone should start their morning. Making his way to the door he hoped that he had gotten there in time to stop his friend from leaving for school. Sometimes Riku did go in at ungodly hours, hopefully, this isn't one of those times.

Sora takes a deep breath and knocks and waits. And knocks. And knocks. He waits. Nothing. No lights through the curtains in the window or the tell tale signs of movement from within only silence.

He starts knocking and keeps knocking until the person he wanted to see finally opens the door.

"Riku!"

He looked bad, deathly pale with dark circles under his eyes but not only that he was still in his night clothes as if he'd only just woken up. Riku was the morning-est morning person to ever wake in the morning but now he looked like death warmed over. Not a happy thought. Bad vibe just doubled.

Worse than his looks though was the fact that he was leaning on the door as if he didn't have the strength to stand on his own.

"Sora… what're-" worried Sora interrupted, "You should see a doctor." The other boy looks at him in exasperation, "I don't need-" once again Sora cuts him off, "Yes you do, I was coming over to bring you this cold medicine," he holds up the medicine before continuing, "But you look even sicker than before which I didn't know was even possible so-"

Riku grabs the medicine, "Thanks Sora. I'll take this so don't worry," His spiky hair flies back and forth as he shakes his head hard as he all but shouts, "You need a doctor!"

"…I'll take the medicine and if I'm not better by Monday I'll go, okay?" Sora doesn't want to agree but Riku is just as stubborn as he is maybe more.

"Promise?" He holds up his pinkie and Riku chuckles but his voice is dry sounding and he gets cut off by a coughing fit which causes the Sora to flutter around uselessly trying to figure out what to do to help him.

"…I'm fine."

Sora gives him a look that says he doesn't buy it, "Alright I'm not but I will be… and I promise if I'm not better and back in school by Monday I'll go and see a doctor."

Something in Sora is telling to not agree to do something about this to stop it... but do what? Make him see a doctor? That must be it, but it's useless because he can't make his friend do anything of the sort.

"Okay… let me help you back to bed you look like you can barely stand." Riku frowns at this, "Thanks but-"

"Don't say that you're fine!" Aqua green colored eyes stare into the determined bright blue ones in front of him, "Alright but if you don't leave now you'll be late for school."

Sora's eyes widen, "Oh man I forgot about that!"

The silver-haired boy managed a partial smirk, "I thought that might have been the case."

"…Well if I'm late, I'm late, let's get you back to bed."

Riku doesn't argue and the two make it back to his room with little fuss though Sora thinks that this should've maybe been harder. Riku was older, taller, and putting most of his weight on him as they moved. Was the other boy losing weight? Sora continued to fuss about making sure he was tucked in, getting him some water to sit beside his bed and even putting one of his favorite novels next to his bed telling him not to do anything strenuous today before reluctantly leaving.

The next morning was the weekend and once again Sora forced himself up if only to call Riku's cell to see how the other boy was doing, the two talked for a few minutes and Riku insisted his was doing better so Sora hung up and went back to bed hoping Riku would do the same thing. That Sunday he didn't wake up early but he did call Riku when he did only he didn't get a response.

This made him nervous but Selphie just told him to chill out as the other teen was likely resting like Sora had told him to, she told him to call back later.

So Sora did, he called three more times.

In between this, he sent a dozen or so texts.

He was practically pulling his hair out by the time Selphie just told him, "Call the house phone."

"Oh yeah, I could do that." He stated sheepishly as the girl rolled her eyes before returning them to her favorite tv drama, something to do with teenage witches or something. It was dumb, but Sora wouldn't say that out loud at least not within Selphie's hearing range.

Sora didn't get Riku on the phone that night but someone did answer, his mom. She explained that Riku was asleep and to call back later.

While frustrated he decided that at least he could calm down now that he finally got through to somebody.

Only that night Sora had the most restless sleep of his life, he tossed and turned, had nightmares when he did doze off about things that he couldn't recall upon waking and then it was time to wake up and an exhausted Sora got ready for school, drank coffee of all things to give himself much needed energy.

"Yup, definitely body snatchers," Selphie tells their aunt to the older woman's amusement.

On the way to school Sora kept an eye out for Riku but he doesn't show up and after school he heads straight to Riku's homeroom teacher and asks if he'd seen him upon hearing the negative reply the brunette leaves and shrugs off both Kairi and Wakka telling them he was going to check on Riku.

Kairi assures him he probably went to the doctor's today and that was why he wasn't at school but Sora had this horrible feeling all last night and during the day that he could not shake. The blue-eyed teen didn't know what it meant if anything at all but he needed to see that Riku was okay for himself.

Arriving at Riku's house he barely registers that the car isn't there and before long he's banging on the front door, the awful feeling only getting stronger the longer there's no sign of his silver-haired friend.

Laying down on the doorbell gets no results either.

Finally, Sora can't take it anymore and heads to the back of the house and a familiar tree, one he used to climb all the time with his best friend as young boys. The two would both sneak in and out of Riku's room this way. Sora hadn't climbed it in a few years but his muscles seemed to recall how as he scaled the tree in record time pushing away his now near panic.

Why was he so scared? He just needed to see Riku then everything would be alright.

But then he saw Riku through his window, the curtains were undrawn and everything was not alright.

Riku was laying in bed, hair spread out on his pillow and at first Sora thought he was simply sleeping despite his dread and horror only escalating and not going away like it should have.

Some part of him knew before he ever slid over on the branch he was on to open the window.

It was unlocked.

Sora climbed inside almost on autopilot.

Sora was inside but Riku wasn't, not really and Sora knew that.

He was unsure how long he spent trying to wake Riku but eventually his mother returned home and found them.

Sora looked over at the stunned woman when he finally noticed her and said, "He won't wake up."

-

A hand fell onto his shoulder causing the teen to be pulled away from his horrible memories to look up into his aunt's tired and equally sad eyes, "Come on Sora, it's time."

Sora looked away and stood up following after her. He barely noticed that the two of them were the last ones inside or that other than Selphie none of his friends sat beside them. He didn't look forward at the preacher or at the coffin sitting upon the catafalque.

Sora zoned out not hearing the man's words they didn't offer him any comfort now just like they hadn't back then. This was easily one of the worst days of his life, not the worst but one of them and as the tears flowed and time passed it didn't get any better.

The teenager wasn't even aware of how he came to be back outside, the car ride to get to where he currently stood, or even the walk to this place. He was only vaguely aware of the casket now being lowered into the hole before him.

It was the same as last year.

No, this time was different.

This wasn't his best friend, but a good friend nonetheless.

No Wakka hadn't been sick not like Riku…

Riku hurt just a little bit more than this but the feelings that came from this death were worse because- "They weren't wrong..." Sora didn't have to turn to know the person behind him it was Tidus. Selphie glared back at him and tugged on Sora's arm to pull them further away.

"Who?" Sora asked in a whisper to which Selphie hissed, "Don't."

Her brother wasn't sure if she was speaking to him or to their friend behind them. "Those women earlier... we all know who's fault this is." Tidus' glare was felt even if he couldn't see him. "Tidus!" Selphie's voice was angry yet quiet as not to draw attention to them, "Shut up you weren't even there, tell her Kairi, tell her who's fault this is."

Kairi said nothing for a moment before whispering, "We shouldn't talk about this here."

"You see she's not denying it!" The blonde said in a quiet but upset tone. Selphie turned her gaze to both of them and glared hard warning them to be quiet but Tidus was too upset to heed the warning. "We all know it should be you laying in that coffin right now Sora." Tidus harsh whisper may not have been heard but Selphie's reaction was.

Everyone turned their heads to see what or rather who slapped someone only to find a tearful brunette and a red faced shocked blonde. Sora didn't pay them or the other people any mind though, he wasn't aware of how the situation around him was being handled.

Tidus words cut him, unlike anything he'd ever felt. He was right, it was his fault. He should be the dead one, not Wakka, it wasn't fair. Not life and apparently not death either.


	2. The Other Day/Second Tragedy

The hand running through his hair as Sora lay motionless in his bed was supposed to feel comforting, but it wasn't nothing could make him feel better.

As if he wasn't racked with enough guilt before the funeral now it was basically swallowing him whole. Even Kairi agreed that it was his fault. Of course, she would though she was there, unlike Selphie and his aunt. Aerith was as she always was, just like last year but unlike then she wouldn't no couldn't understand this.

Not even Sora did, and he was there. He had no one to go to about this, he was alone.

Maybe he deserved to be unable to confide in anyone, alone… with his guilt.

Fingers continued their path through his hair, just like last year and like every other time when he felt down, she was there. Like a mom would be, should be… but he couldn't open up, not this time.

His mind started to replay that day because as much as he didn't want to think about it, that was all he could think about. When he closed his eyes, it was all he could see… it made him almost wish he was still seeing a lifeless Riku instead.

-

Sora had to try much harder to smile than ever before, to laugh, it felt hollow sometimes. Luckily during the day, he could almost focus on other things on other people as time passed, he could almost pretend like Riku didn't exist.

And in a way he wasn't lying to himself about it. Riku and his presence was just gone, his family had packed away all the pictures and no one talked about him anymore. He just ceased to exist at some point.

That didn't change that the first-year anniversary of Riku's death was due to arrive in less than a month, maybe that was why lately things were harder than usual. Smiling, laughing, living… Sora never found those things a chore before.

"Sora were you listening to me?" Selphie cuts into his thoughts annoyed.

He looks away from the tv screen and whatever it was that he had been pretending to watch for the last half hour.

"Hm, oh yeah… the school dance and dress shopping… shouldn't you ask Kairi to take you or better yet Aerith I mean she's got a boyfriend and everything now right?" It was weird as long as he's known her which was pretty much his entire life, she's been single well as far as he knew, but now his aunt had a boyfriend.

It was bizarre.

Selphie huffs, "That's why I'm asking you duh!"

Sora blinks, "Um, come again?"

Rolling her eyes, she explained again as if her audience were a toddler, "I need you there so that you can tell me if Tidus will like the dress I pick out."

The blue-eyed boy tilts his head, "Why would that matte-ow! Why'd you hit me?"

Sora rubbed his head, "Because it was a dumb question that's why!" He just glares back and mumbled, "Girls…" underneath his breath, "I heard that!" The boy winced and prepared for another attack only it didn't come.

"Besides this way I'm helping you out too." She grinned.

"How do you figure going clothes shopping with you will help me?" Sora asked dumbfounded.

"I'll be able to help you find your own outfit to the dance silly." Of course that was it, "I told you I wasn't going-" she cuts him off, "Of course you are, besides you already have a date."

"No, I don't." Sora protested, he would be aware if he'd asked someone to the dance and since he knew for a fact that he hadn't, well then Selphie was just getting her romantic brain lost in delusions again.

Wouldn't be the first time, he blamed Aerith for dating some guy and being a bad influence on his little sister's delicate state of mind. That or the paopu legend she was so obsessed with.

"You do, you're going with Kairi." It was a statement not a question.

"Since when?" Not that he had a problem with going with his closest girl friend, but he hadn't asked her and really would rather not go to the dance. Once upon a time he'd have probably looked forward to it but well he was less sociable now a days.

"Don't tell me you haven't asked her yet…" Selphie looked at her brother in disappointment.

"…Wait… was that what Kairi was hinting at the other day?" Sora asked sheepishly rubbing his neck.

Selphie's eye twitched, "You moron, oh well better late than never. At least now you know so you can finally ask her."

Sora sighed, "I get that she wants to go but I already told her I wasn't going. She could just go with Tid-" He stops talking at the younger girl's glare before coughing and changing directions, "or Wakka yeah they could go together and have a good time, I don't have to take her for that to happen."

The girl flops down onto the couch in frustration, "She wants to go with you though!"

"Why would it make a difference? We hang out all the time." That was only half true, but he was sticking with it. Selphie shook her head, "Yeah but that is completely different!"

Sora wasn't getting it, "How-" just then his phone starts to ring and he answers it much to his little sister's irritation, "Hey Tidus what's up?" Selphie's frown melts off her face instantly and she eagerly shoots closer to try and listen, too close.

Sora stands up and backs away looking at her weirdly as she pouts. 'Sisters' he thought before focusing on Tidus and catching onto the fact that Wakka, Kairi, and Tidus are all headed to the beach. He agrees to meet them there and hangs up.

"Where are we going?" Selphie asked interested and Sora decides in that moment to lie, "Oh the guys said there was this uh… blitz ball match coming on and we're um gonna all go make an afternoon out of watching it." He was a horrid lair but Selphie was easily fooled because her brother never really lied to her.

So instantly her interest in joining them drops, "Oh okay well have fun I guess." He smiled, "I will, bye!" As he darts off she calls out, "Don't think you're getting out of that shopping trip next weekend!"

Sora doesn't reply but thinks to himself that he'll probably feel guilty enough to go with her willingly after lying to her about today. It wasn't that he minded hanging out with her and his friends at the same time, they were her friends too after all, it was just lately… she was making things weird.

Even Tidus had no idea why she seemed to get sand in her eyes whenever she was around him, that had to be it otherwise why would she blink so much?

Anyway, a day with his friends without his currently weird little sister was probably just what he needed. Maybe he'd get so exhausted playing on the beach that he wouldn't have any nightmares tonight? A guy could dream… not that Sora had recently, nightmares yes. But dreams, he couldn't remember the last one he'd had.

Arriving at the beach he found the others already there and of course the first thing out of Kairi's mouth was, "Where's Selphie?"

"Uh doing…" Don't say girl things that would not fly with Kairi, "sister things…" Great totally believable.

Tidus and Wakka shrug as if it's completely realistic or they just don't care either way. Kairi raised an eyebrow, "Sister things? Like what?" She's not buying it Sora panics, "I dunno know I'm not a sister!" Kairi just shakes her head and drops it thankfully as Sora was about to crack and admit to lying.

That would only lead to Kairi calling Selphie and then said sister showing up and she would not be happy and would make sure Sora regretted the lie immensely.

Luckily it didn't happen.

Sora spent the next few hours playing volleyball, building sandcastles, and swimming. Eventually Wakka and Tidus ran off to get a watermelon or something for them so Kairi sat down on the shore beside Sora and the two stared at the sunset together.

It was just like old times… only without Riku.

That's not quite true, the two of them had watched the sunset together plenty of times without Riku. But now he felt Riku's absence more than ever before.

Kairi sighed causing Sora to turn his gaze her way, she was staring at him with an unreadable look on her face.

"What?" Sora asked confused and Kairi's faces toward the ocean once more before answering, "It was unrealistic to ask that of you… everybody changes." Sora doesn't say anything but tries to remember what she's talking about only to draw a blank.

"Uh yeah I think aunt Aerith would say that was part of growing up… you know change." Yeah that sounded like something his aunt would tell him but was it what Kairi wanted to hear, he didn't know.

"Yeah… I guess you're right." Kairi whispers sadly.

Not knowing what brought this about but not liking the melancholy in Kairi's voice Sora tried again, "Change… isn't always bad you know?" She looks back at him and smiles, "I know…," The two stare at each other for a lingering moment more before Kairi breaks the silence, "Sora I-"

Suddenly Sora feels a rush of something indescribable. It flows through him with a rush and he's on his feet before he can even think about it. "Sora?" Kairi asked stunned at her friend's saddened movement.

"That… was odd…" He was speaking to himself but Kairi looked just as confused if not more, "What are you talking about Sora?"

"I dunno…" Sora stares at his hand in confusion like he didn't recognize it, "I mean it was like I suddenly felt like, like the energy bunny or like I had ten cups of coffee?" Not that he'd ever do that, the stuff was nasty.

"You feel hyper? Wide awake?" Kairi looked up at him in contemplation.

"No well yes but not really and not any more… It's calmed down now I guess maybe I felt-" different? Or rather stronger? Was that really what he felt? And why did he still feel it like a low hum and not like a rushing waterfall? Why was it there in the first place?

"Sora… if you don't feel-" Sora didn't hear her finish because suddenly another feeling hit him, a different one.

The teen just knew he needed to be somewhere, not thinking he took off in the direction his instincts were telling him to go in not once thinking about how he was ditching Kairi and whatever she had been about to tell him.

"Sora!?" Kairi called from behind him but he didn't stop not even when he passed by a startled Wakka and Tidus holding a watermelon and a bat respectively.

The two call out for him but he doesn't stop until he gets to his destination. When he does, he freezes.

"The cemetery?" Sora hadn't been here since Riku's funeral, and he had no plans on ever coming back if he could help it.

Why was he here? The feeling was urging him to go inside, it was telling him to do something, but he wasn't sure what. Sora wasn't much of a comic book fan, but he was tired of calling whatever this was as a feeling or vibe.

So, he dubbed it mentally as his Sora senses, he didn't have spider ones as far as he was aware.

Following his newly named Sora senses he tried to open the gate around the cemetery only to find them locked tight, "The gate closed at five…" A winded voice behind him tells him causing him to turn and see both Tidus and Wakka hunched over catching their breath. They followed him.

The beach isn't that close to the cemetery. No wonder they looked so out of breath despite being more active than Sora even. That brought up another question.

Just how long was he running and why wasn't Sora struggling to catch his breath like his friends? Before he could think about it any further, he turned back to face the gate, "I need to get inside… I'm gonna climb it, you guys stay here."

"What are you insane?" Tidus asked at the same time as Wakka spoke, "We could come back in the morning when it's open, ya?" He eyed the darken cemetery nervously.

That would be the logical thing to do but no, Sora had to go in there right now. But his friends shouldn't, it wasn't safe. How he knew that and why he was going inside despite knowing it the teenager had no idea. This was in the words of Tidus 'insane'.

Sora should just ignore it but… he'd already ignored too much, like Riku… if only he had paid attention to his gut feeling back then maybe Riku would've gotten medical help and still be alive today. It was no use wondering about what could have happened, that was the past and this was now, and it was his choice to act.

So, he climbed the fence despite his friends protests that he could get in trouble, that they would all come back in the morning. The gate was surprisingly easier to climb than he'd first imagined it to be, before this his climbing had been limited to trees.

Feet back on the ground he turned to see his two friends on the other side of the gate only that's not what he sees. "What're you doing?"

"Climbing the gate to keep an eye on your dumb ass." Tidus remarks unhappily and with a bit of difficulty, the gate seemed to be harder for him to scale than it had for Sora. Well Tidus was more of a swimmer than a climber so that was probably the reason.

"Friends shouldn't let friends suffer the consequences alone ya?" Wakka added as they both land on the ground after a bit longer.

"Guys… you should go." He needed to be here for some reason. But they didn't, "Not unless you do." The blonde boy told him stubbornly.

"Ditto." Wakka grinned.

Half of Sora told him to turn back to keep them safe because they couldn't be here, not right now. But the other part said he needed to keep going before one side could win out another huffing voice called out, "W-what are y-you g-guys doing?"

"Kairi?" Sora rushed back to the gate a few feet away and saw that it was indeed Kairi. And she looked worn out. Not surprising, Kairi was not a runner by any means.

The redhead would only join in for fun on occasion when Riku and him raced and even then, she never kept up, it was surprising that she got here so fast now that he thought about it.

Though her red sweaty face and deep breaths must mean she pushed herself way too hard not to lose sight of them.

Kairi glared and asked again more firmly, "W-why are we here?" In between her deep breathing.

Sora closed his eyes for a minute and wonders the same thing while resting his hands on the same bars as hers. What was wrong with him? Shaking his head, he stubbornly pushed away his 'Sora senses' and looks at his friends.

They were more important than whatever this was.

"Sorry guys this was I don't even know, let's just go." Wakka nodded relieved but Tidus who had walked a bit ahead looked behind them and asked, "Hey did someone die recently?" That made Sora flinch and drop his hold on the gate to turn to the other boy to reassure the boy and himself.

"The island's not that big we'd know if-" Kairi speaks up then, "Actually a few people have…"

"What?" Sora felt dread creep up on him.

It felt like this place had eyes and they're were all watching him. No, it must have been his imagination the teen always had an overactive one he knew that, horror scared the pants off of him.

Sora avoided horror movies like the plague when he could.

"I think I heard about it, some older folks yeah?" Wakka asked Kairi and the other redhead nods, "The retirement home housing them is under investigation but they say it was just a case of one getting ill and it spreading too fast."

She took a deep breath before continuing, "My grandmother has friends there that's why I know, they're trying to keep this quiet as it would look bad for them to have let it get so far. Last I heard there were seven deaths total, but the number may have increased it has been several days since then and I don't know if they got it under control yet."

Sora didn't want to think about illnesses so or so many dead people and instead looked at Tidus, "Why'd you ask anyway?"

"That empty grave…" he points, "there." and the two boys turn and see the open grave his eyes were stuck on.

"That's not right, I know that all of those who died were buried already, they should all be filled in." Kairi states from the opposite side of the gate not helping Sora feel calm about this. "Wait… why did they burry them so fast? Wouldn't an autopsy slow things down?" Wakka pointed out.

"Hm, you're right I didn't think about it until now but I'm sure they have their reasons." Kairi answered unsurely despite her words.

Sora wasn't really paying their conversation any mind though he was on high alert, something wasn't right. His blue eyes scanned the area but couldn't seem to find anything, that didn't mean nothing was there. Just that it was too dark for him to see it.

They needed to leave now!

"Let's just go." Sora moves forward and grabs Tidus' sleeve urging him to move closer to the gate and away from the empty grave. The blonde looked like he wanted to argue about getting an even closer look but reluctantly agreed when faced with Sora's wide-eyed look and pale pallor.

"Alright you scaredy cat, it's not like dead people can hurt you but fine let's go."

Sora only felt relief for a second before Kairi let loose a scream causing the three boys tense and whirl around. There behind them moving at incredible speeds was a feral looking person with white hair who was covered in dirt, and it was heading their way.

"A zombie!?" Tidus was the only thing he had time to shout with disbelief before the 'zombie' pounced.

It was fast, too fast because it was on top of Sora before he could avoid it. "Sora!" His friends' cry but he had no time to pay them any mind as the only thing he had time to do as he fell backwards was block himself with his forearm which he pressed firmly against the creature's neck to hold it's attack off.

With it pressing onto Sora and right in his face he recognized that it was once an old woman, but that thought was fleeting as his attention was focused on keeping her snarling and snapping teeth away from him.

Sharp incisors seemed to be longer now, and his arms couldn't keep her from scratching him with them some only making her black eyes darken. Those eyes lock his own and he could see no awareness in them, none.

It was already dead.

That thought was enough for him to find the strength and will to knock it off him.

Only as he scrambled to get back up it latched onto his leg making him fall again, the thing was in a frenzy and seemed even stronger now.

So there the teen was back to where he started on the ground fighting to keep the creature from biting him, "Sora!" Kairi's screamed again and that seemed to wake Tidus and Wakka from their stupor enough for them to try and fight back with the surrounding sticks and rocks.

It doesn't seem to feel any pain from the hits though, "Don't worry about me just-," he knees the creature to attempt to throw it again, but it doesn't work, "climb the fence!" Sora shouts as he continues to struggle with the monster on top of him.

The two don't listen and berate him for telling them to leave him while doing their best to help get the so called 'zombie' off of Sora.

Eventually Sora gains the upper hand and tosses it off and even further with Wakka's help. The redhead used his free hand to grab the back it's shirt to aid in the distance of the toss. Wasting no time now that he was free Sora jumped up. Only the monster was faster than him and it now lunged at Wakka who was closest only to have Tidus jump it instead and start bashing it's face with a large rock in response.

It goes down with the teen and eventually stops moving at some point causing Tidus to drop the rock. Sora and Wakka can only stare at their blonde friend who in turn was staring at his bloodstained hands in horror and disbelief. Before his gaze flickered over to the unmoving dead thing, seeming to realize his proximity to it he jumped back and off of it falling ungracefully onto his butt.

"I-I kill it… right? I mean… it's dead?" Tidus asked and it's Wakka who gets his wits about him first and nods gratefully before helping the other boy stand up. Shakily Tidus grips Wakka's forearms getting the blood on him too but neither noticed.

Sora's was not so sure that it was really dead, but it wasn't moving so at least it wasn't able to attack anymore. The three then hurry back to the gate and they make the still shaky Tidus climb it first and once he's on the other side about to start climbing down his gaze turns to them and he shouts, "Look out!"

Sora who was further up than Wakka despite the redhead starting to climb first sees the danger and moves faster than he ever had before and jumps off the gate to tackle the monster that nearly grabbed ahold of Wakka's leg.

Sora comes to the startling realization that it's not the same one, this one's face wasn't bashed in and it was male.

"How many of these things are there!" Struggling to keep it from biting him he yelled back at Wakka to keep climbing but the noble guy that was doesn't listen and jumps down and rushes over to help.

All the while Sora's wrestling on the ground. He was never one for fighting before this, but his previous struggle had taught him enough to make quicker work of pushing this one away, but it just kept coming back for more.

Seeing an opening Wakka circled around behind the distracted creature and grabbed him in an attempt to pull him off just like he did the last one.

Neither of the teenagers see the one with the bashed in face rise.

But Kairi and Tidus do.

Both shout their warnings but it's too late the first monster had latched its teeth into the side of Wakka's neck harshly before either of them could move to avoid it.

The redhead screamed in pain and let go of the other monster he had nearly hauled off of Sora, "Wakka!" They all scream.

Sora suddenly flips the monster several away from himself with new found strength and rips the other one off of his friend before starting to wail on it.

Wakka grabbed his gushing neck trying to make his way to the gate, to his friends, to safety only for him to see his friends' horrified expressions and cries as they helplessly watch him get jumped on from behind by the second monster.

Wakka goes down without much fight and the last thing he sees is his terrified friends' faces and Tidus trying to get to him. He hears their cries. He feels pain and is cold. And then finally there's nothing.

Tidus started climbing the gate the moment he saw the other monster get back up but it was too late, not even halfway there and the monster was back on Wakka, eating him. It was eating him!

Kairi's tears nearly blinded her but she still saw what was happening and shouted, "Sora help him!"

That got Sora's attention but as he let go of the creature he had been pounding it pounced with renewed vigor and latched its teeth into Sora's forearm biting down hard.

Luckily, he reacted just as quickly and kicked it off him before grabbing a nearby stick and shoving it through its head via it's left eye and pinning her to the ground. It was still wiggling but seemed unable to figure out how to remove the wood from its eye socket.

Wasting no more time he grabbed the other monster off Wakka along and pulled it away from his fallen friend before finding another thicker stick and shoving this one through its throat effectively pinning it to the ground as well.

Breathing heavily covered in dirt, leaves, and blood Sora rushed to Wakka's side and wastes no time in grabbing at the bleeding wound to put pressure on it.

"You're okay, you're okay…" Sora mumbles over and over again as Tidus lands on their side of the fence and sprints to them.

Tidus checks for his friends breathing first by putting his hand in front of the others mouth and nose.

Getting nothing but not willing to believe it he takes Wakka's hand and searches for a pulse, for anything. Anything to tell him that he's still alive but there's nothing… his shaky hands reach once more for the fallen boy's face to turn his head so that Tidus can look into his face.

He sees wide frightened dead eyes gaze back at him.

Tidus screams.

Sora doesn't notice or move from his position of trying to stop the bleeding. Instead he's stuck on the same words, "You're okay… you're okay."

Kairi finally can't keep standing and slides down the fence holding the bars like a lifeline as she vaguely recalls Selphie saying Sora was stuck on a loop with Riku too.

In denial and saying, 'Wake up…' repeatedly, like his words would somehow make his friend awaken… make him okay.

Kairi had never really understood what Sora went through that day that he found Riku's body. Until now and she really wishes she still didn't.

-

Kairi had hardly spoken a word of the incident at least as far as Sora knew, Tidus blamed him for bringing them to the cemetery that night.

And Sora did as well. It was his fault, none of them should have been there.

Those things were gone when the morning arrived well not gone so much as they turned to dust right before the trios very eyes. As out of it as he was Sora could still remember them catching fire and then crumbling into dust. Not to mention their horrible painful screams, not that Sora felt bad for them after what had happened to Wakka.

Before that though Sora and Tidus had stayed beside Wakka all night with Kairi on the other side of the gate until the morning came and the person in charge of opening the gates came and found them there.

The rest of what happened next was a blur.

The brunette still wasn't sure what story his friends gave to the police, but he knew that they would speak to him at some point but for now his family kept them at bay, saying he was too fragile for questioning.

Part of him knew he needed to know what Kairi and Tidus said so he could repeat their story as no one would believe the truth, he didn't even believe it and he had been there. Seen those things, monsters… was accurate but his mind was leaning more towards another word.

Vampires.

The sunlight turning them to dust had been the biggest clue another had been when he realized they didn't want flesh so much as blood.

They had been blood crazy… and probably just woken up digging out of their own graves. At least that would explain why the graves were empty and they were filthy.

It was hard to imagine them as they were supposed to be a two of the kindly old folks from down at the retirement home. He hadn't recognized them that night but as the authorities knew whose graves were dug up and that their bodies were missing, he'd seen their pictures splattered here and there.

They were trying to keep things from getting out but despite how small of a population they were or maybe because they were so small, it didn't work. People gossiped, and everyone had their theories by now.

That wasn't what concerned Sora though.

He had known them.

Not surprising, everyone knew everyone here.

But they weren't themselves that night and if there was one thing that Sora knew despite doing his best to stay away from all things horror it was that you couldn't become a vampire without another vampire.

Meaning someone was turning people into monsters and had likely done so to all those dead old people. Sora hadn't bothered to see how many of them there had been, Kairi had given a number but he didn't recall it or know if it was still the same. She would probably know by now though, but he couldn't ask her.

Did he even care?

Yes.

Despite nearly drowning in his guilt about Wakka he couldn't help but think if there was a vampire or likely vampires then that meant that other people would die.

More people he cared about.

Aunt Aerith, Selphie, Kairi, and Tidus… it didn't matter if the last two hated him at the moment or never forgave him for his part in Wakka's death all that mattered is that they didn't die too.

Sora had seen enough.

No more people were gonna die.

Even if he had to take out the vampires all by himself.

Sitting up he looks at Aerith, "…Thanks, I'm okay now." She frowned but doesn't object, "Think you feel up to eating something then?" He didn't feel like it but if he was going to be hunting down vampires, he probably needed to keep up his strength.

"Sure." He doesn't even attempt to smile in return to hers but eventually he knew he'd be able to fake it again and pretend. Sora was pretty good at pretending, it was the lying that he would need to work on but if he really thought about it playing pretend was just another way of lying wasn't it?

Aerith brought him some grilled cheese and tomato soup as he wasn't really a fan of the chicken and noodle kind and would only ever willingly eat it when he had a fever but at the moment staring into the blood red soup, he suddenly had a new apparition for the noodles as his stomach churned.

Setting down the soup on his bedside table he instead ate the grilled cheese not once considering dunking it in the offending soup like he would have once upon a time.

A new day a new phobia it seemed.

He could stand looking at sleeping people, they were too still. Like Riku.

Now it seemed he didn't like red or things that could be considered blood like… shoving his sandwich into his mouth and chewing he tried not to think about it.

A sudden memory flashes before him, "Sora, don't ever change."

It was something Kairi said to him on the beach before they started high school… the conversation had been spurred on about them realizing how much high school or maybe just life in general had changed Riku.

"It was unrealistic to ask that of you… everybody changes."

Sora didn't doubt that he had changed after Riku's death or that Wakka's wouldn't further change him. It was a fact of life, as much as he now wished that could have stayed the same, unchanging. Kairi was right it wasn't realistic.

Kairi and Tidus would change now too because of Wakka, maybe. But certainly because they knew monsters existed.

Looking over at his discarded cellphone he reaches out for it and before he can stop himself, he clicks on his contacts and hits Kairi's name. He didn't want them to have anything to do with this, so it was a good thing they weren't talking to him, really it was… he tried to convince himself.

Still he had some things he needed to know before he tried to find the vampire that had once again threw his life into disarray.

"…Sora?" Kairi's voice answers from the other side of the phone.

"Hey… Kairi, I need to ask you about something…" Sora trailed off before taking a deep breath.

"About w-what?" Her voice cracked, and Sora wondered briefly if he should wait for her sake but then shoved away the thought, no he was doing this for her and all the other people he cared for.

"What did you tell the police about… that night." Her breath hitched but at least she didn't hang up on him, after another moment she answered and from there Sora asked about the number of people who died in the recent retirement home incident and she reluctantly told him that as well.

"Thanks, Kairi, I'll talk to you later." Before he could hang up, she spoke again, "Sora… you aren't going to do anything stupid are you?"

Probably. Most likely. "No." Pretend.

"…You promise?" Kairi's tone of voice and the fact that it was a promise nearly made his resolve break.

"Yes… I promise." Sora had never broken a promise or made one that he didn't have the intention of keeping not on purpose.

Her sigh of relief made him wince as even she knew how he was with promises.

"Bye Sora."

"Bye Kairi…" He hung up and squeezed his phone tightly before throwing it in frustration at the wall.

-

"So, he destroyed two of them and on his first night of awakening?" A dark hooded figure asked the other hooded figure, "It appears so…" The taller one replied.

"He's the reason you slowed down your plans a year, ago right? Even back then you could sense him, and he hadn't even become the slayer yet, no back then he was just a potential." A female voice spoke from the shadows gaining the other two's attention.

"One of the reasons…" He frowned recalling another reason, "his potential was high enough to shine through even then. There was only one other with the potential so high." He answered.

"Is he the other reason you mentioned?" The smaller figure asked.

"He was a pain for a time but that is now a thing of the past." The other male assured them.

"Is he on board then?" The smaller hooded male asked clearly not believing him to be.

"More or less." Was his reply which didn't help the other man's misgivings.

"What I wanna know is why you didn't just change him too?" The female asked.

"…There is someone who was interested in seeing another slayer born to this island, isn't that right?" The smaller one answered for him.

"Be careful what you say Zexion but you're not wrong…" He trails off.

"Duly noted." Zexion stated.

"Oh, how exciting." The woman laughs, "So he is a part of the plan too?" Her tone was a bit of curiosity mixed with something else much more dangerous.

"No…" The hooded man stated.

"Hmm, that so? Well then can I kill the slayer?" She asked excitedly.

"Do as you wish as long as you don't get in the way of the master's plan." He tells her before vanishing into the darkness, Zexion shakes his head and follows suit.

The hooded female figure smiles as she continues to watch the second story room of the quaint little home that currently housed the most recent slayer.

She had always wanted to kill a slayer, and this one was as good as any. Besides, "It'd take Axel's bragging rights away if he wasn't the only one to have offed a slayer."


End file.
